Solen A Jacob & Bella Story
by NewMoon02
Summary: A simple Jacob and Bella story. No vampires, which means no Cullens, no werewolves although Quil, Embry, Sam, Leah, Seth and others make appearances in this story. JxB QxC SxL
1. Forks High School Bella's POV

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to these characters or the Twilight series. All belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

Also, this is just my vision of the story. The Cullen's, nor any vampires, and any other mythical creatures do not exist in my story, all human. By the way the first chapter or so will all be somewhat familiar. I didn't want to jump over everything. So if you're reading this give it a try and I hope the story will become more enjoyable when I begin to drift further from the books. My first try writing a fanfiction, I hope you enjoy.

Summary: Bella Swan moves to Forks, Washington while her mother (Renee) travels with her husband Phil. When Bella moves in with her father she begins school at Forks High. One day Bella accepts an invitation from some of the kids at school for a trip to a local beach where she meets someone who changes her life. JxB

Follows Twilight from page 3-17 and then I take over the story.

We sat at the end of a full table with several of her friends, who she introduced to me. I forgot all their names as soon as she spoke them. They seemed impressed by her bravery in speaking to me. The boy from English, waved at me from across the room. [Text from Twilight pg. 17]

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**Chapter 1**

_Forks High School_

I wryly smiled at him and quickly worried he would misinterpret the act as an attempt at flirting or even a reason to come over, before I could decide which was worse I looked down at my tray hoping he would get the idea. After a few seconds I decided it was safe to look up and listen in on the conversation as it continued at my table.

There wasn't much to the conversation from what I could tell. The curly haired girl was telling the two girls on her left–the dark haired girl seemed sincerely interested in what she was hearing and the other was obviously feigning it- about a boy she saw at the beach that looked like some actor named Peter Facinelli. Tuning her out I realized her name was Jessica; there were two Jessica's in my class back in Phoenix.

_Oh_ Phoenix. I suppressed a verbal sigh as I thought of the sunny weather and the fact that it would be a while until I could go back _home_. I tried not to think of the rainy weather that would now occupy most of my days here and just as I began to lose that battle the bell suddenly rang. I just about jumped out of my skin at the sound but stopped myself just in time although it didn't stop the blush from showing up.

As I stood up the dark haired girl came to stand on my right. She reminded me that her name was Angela and asked me which class I was going to, when I told her bio II she smiled and said "Me too". We walked to class together in silence the rest of the way. She was shy, too [Twilight-pg 23]. I watched as she went to sit at a black-topped lab table and I quickly realized she and everyone else had a neighbor. There was only one empty table left. _I guess I'm sitting alone_, I sullenly thought as I made my way to the teacher to get my slip signed_. _

I didn't mind sitting by myself so much I just wasn't so fond of standing out anymore than necessary by being the only person without a partner. At first, I didn't pay much attention to the lecture. Cellular anatomy was a subject I already studied in Phoenix. I shook the thought right out of my head and took notes to keep focused. The class dragged on for what felt like hours. Finally, the bell rang and I began to pack up my things.

"Aren't You Isabella Swan?" a male voice asked.

I looked up to see a cute, baby-faced boy; his pale blond hair carefully gelled into orderly spikes, smiling at me in a friendly way. 

"Bella," I corrected him with a smile.

"I'm Mike."

"Hi, Mike."

"Do you need any help finding your next class?"

"I'm headed to the gym, actually. I think I can find it."

"That's my next class, too." He seemed thrilled though it wasn't that big of a coincidence in a school this small. [Twilight-pg 25]

As we walked to the gym together he talked and I tried to listen as best as I could. All I remember is that he mentioned he use to live in California. To be honest I was just ready to get out of there so I wasn't very attentive. He seemed to be an okay guy though. I gave him a polite smile as I walked toward the locker room.

I didn't have to participate in class today so I just watched as the other students played volleyball. _I doubt I'll make it out of this class alive, _I thought as I saw a girl slip after hitting the ball.

The final bell rang at last. I walked slowly to the office to return my paperwork. The rain had drifted away, but the wind was strong, and colder. I wrapped my arms around myself. [Twilight-pg 26]

I walked into the office and made my way to the counter and handed the signed slip to the receptionist. She asked my about my day and I told her it was fine. _Actually, it was just dull. _

I quickly got to my truck and headed home. When I got there, I cooked dinner before Charlie came home and ate a quick meal. I didn't feel up to his questions about how school went today so along with the note I left with the cooking instructions I left one that told him I wasn't feeling well hoping he would leave me alone. I hurried upstairs to take a shower and changed into my pjs. I think my lack of a good night sleep last night and the boring day that followed kept me from getting too worked up and as soon as my head hit the pillow my eyes could no longer hold themselves open.

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**Italics = thoughts**

**Underline = excerpts from the books**


	2. Midnight Dusk Jacob's POV

**Chapter 2**

_Midnight Dusk_

**Jacob's POV**

"C'mon man let's go! We gotta pick up the girls!" Quil called as I opened the front door.

I rolled my eyes as I walked out to his little car. I opened the passenger door and he said "Nuh-uh" and jerked his thumb toward the backseat. I groaned while I closed the door. I opened the back door and got in.

"Who's the lucky lady this time?" I said in a faux suave tone. Quil let out a chuckle as he began driving and said "Claire's cousin, Karen." He looked at me in the rear view mirror and lifted his eyebrows as he continued, "Don't tell Claire I said this but she's hot man." I rolled my eyes again.

We pulled up in front of Claire's house and the two girls came out. It was still daylight so I could tell what Quil meant about Karen being hot. She was probably about 5'8" with long black hair and dark brown eyes. She was dark skinned but not as dark as the rest of us. She had a well defined jaw line and prominent check bones. _She doesn't look 14 _I thought to myself_._ Trust me I'm not shallow or anything but if she has a good personality it would just be an encouraging plus.

I opened the door and pulled myself to the seat on my left to allow Karen to sit without having to walk around the car and into the road. Claire got in her respected seat in the front and turned to look at me. As Karen got in Claire smiled and said, "Jacob, Karen. Karen, Jacob." Karen looked at me and gave me a sarcastic smile or something like it. _It looks like it's going to be a long night. _I smiled as real of a smile I could muster after her expression and looked out my window.

The car ride was mostly quiet on the way to the movies except for some comments from Claire toward Karen and Quil. When we got there, Quil and I let the girls pick the movie. They quickly decided on something called "Midnight Dusk". I looked at Quil but he just shrugged. He hadn't heard of it either.

Quil bought his two tickets and I soon followed. We headed inside and made our way to the concession stand. I looked at Karen, "Do you want anything?" I asked. Without looking at me she said "A Sprite." She had a soft voice but it was thick with attitude. I ordered some pop corn and a large soda for myself_. I may want to fake a bathroom break and make a run for the door so I might as well make it believable._ I also bought her Sprite and handed it to her before I grabbed my stuff. To my surprise she said "Thanks."

We walked toward theatre 3, where our movie was playing in 20 minutes. Quil looked back at me with a smile on his face. The look I gave him must have been something else because his smirk quickly disappeared and he picked up his pace a little. I almost laughed but held it in just in case Miss Priss started asking questions.

We sat down toward the center of the theatre. Quil and I sat on the outside of Claire and Karen. Karen and I sat in quiet, I tried to make conversation by asking her what the movie was about but she just said "Vampires". Suddenly I heard laughing on my left and looked over to see a group of at least seven walking by us. The girl in the middle quickly caught my eye, not so much because she was pretty but because she looked strangely familiar. After a few seconds of trying to figure it out I mentally shrugged it off.

A moment later the lights went dim and the movie began. It was some lame movie about a vampire that falls in love with a human. What a joke. I looked over at Quil about 40 minutes in and he looked back at me with a look of disgust on his face. The only thing that kept me from falling asleep was the fact that my mind began to anxiously try to figure out who that girl was I saw before the movie started.

After what felt like just a few minutes the lights turned on causing me to be momentarily stunned. I stood up and took a quick look behind me. The girl looked pretty uncomfortable, it made me wonder how the movie ended. I began to walk with Karen, Claire and Quil following behind.

I had no interest on dragging this night on any further but I was forced to when the three of them wanted dinner. I claimed I wasn't hungry and just ordered a soda. Quil must have sensed my aloofness because he offered to pay for everyone. I think I heard Claire and Karen talking about stuff so I didn't worry about offending anyone. Afterwards, we walked out to the car.

The ride back home was quieter than the ride to the movies. I couldn't seem to shake off the thoughts of that girl-the fact that I felt like I knew her and that look she had after the movie-it was like she was a kindred spirit or something. Snapping me out of my reverie I heard Quil calling my name. I looked at him in his rear view mirror and raised my eyebrows.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said as I adjusted my position and realized the girls were gone. "Sorry."

"_I'm_ sorry about tonight man. I didn't know Karen was such a bitch."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Don't worry about it."

I looked to see that it was ten till 9PM. We stopped in front of my house and when I got out I turned back and leaned into the door. "Quil.", he looked at me. "No more blind dates." He laughed and nodded his head.

I turned and noticed the lights were off. _Dad must've gone to bed early. _I walked inside and went straight into my room. I've lived here so long I didn't need my vision. I kicked off my shoes, took off my pants and shirt and got into bed. My thoughts drifted off to that girl and I quickly fell asleep.

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_**I originally wasn't planning on doing Jacob's POV but I just started and couldn't stop. I wanted to go further with this chapter but decided it was best to stop here. Let me know how you feel about the switch in POV's. Does it come off as a guy?**_


	3. Dirty Hand Bella's POV

**Really long chapter! Enjoy.**

**Chapter 3**

_Dirty Hand_

My eyes snapped open at the sound of a startling crash. I looked around the dark room but couldn't tell if anything was out of place. I reached over to turn on my bedside light but was quickly stopped when there was another crashing sound and a bright flash of light outside. Realization immediately stifled my scream as another bolt of lightning brightened the dark night. I lay back in bed, closed my eyes, and focused on my breathing to calm myself down.

Once I felt like I could walk I threw the covers off and went into the bathroom. I washed my hands and face. The cool water felt nice against my skin. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and noticed I looked like hell. My hair was a mess and my eyes were a little puffy. I sighed and made my way back to my room. I got back in bed and looked at my alarm clock; it was a little after midnight. I must have been asleep for at least six hours.

I began to think that I wouldn't fall back to sleep so I thought about the weather or at the moment the lack there of, at least compared to an hour ago. The thunder and lightning had receded and the rain was light. The sound was nice enough that it lulled me back to sleep.

I woke to the sound of my alarm clock going off. _Did I really sleep over 10 hours? _I stood up and felt unusually decent, well rested at least. I picked out my clothes for the day and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

After I got dressed I went downstairs. Charlie was sitting with his back to me at the square table drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. I walked in and made myself some cereal. When I sat down I waited for Charlie to say something. It was quiet for a good moment.

"How are you feeling?" Charlie asked. I looked up for a second while he was still looking at his paper.

I swallowed a bite of my cereal and said, "Better."

"How was school?"

I held back a sigh, "It was fine. I meet a few people."

Charlie nodded and took his cup to the sink and headed toward the door. Before he left of the kitchen he looked back and said "I'll see you later, Bells." I nodded and looked down at my bowl. When he walked out of the front door I got up and dumped the rest of the cereal. I rinsed out the dishes and got my things together. I still had a few minutes but I decided to leave anyways.

When I got to school I had enough time to be early to class but not so much that it was awkward. The morning went by fairly slowly. I still received looks and a few greetings from fellow students.

Jessica walked with me to lunch again. She was talking about a new shirt she saw at a shop in Port Angeles. Mike intercepted us and steered us to his table. Jessica seemed elated by the attention, and her friends quickly joined us.[Twilight – pg. 30] I was easily able to recognize everyone by face and name. Along with Jessica and Mike there was Eric, Angela, Lauren, Katie, Ben, and Tyler.

They quickly started conversations. Angela turned toward me and asked me how I liked Forks, and the school. Her genuine curiosity made it hard to lie but I didn't want to tell her how much I disliked being here. "It'll take some time to get used to the weather." I said to avoid answering the question. I think she realized my apprehension but she didn't ask any more questions and gave me a smile.

I looked around the table and Jessica was talking to Katie about a movie. I saw Mike turned his head toward me in my peripheral vision so I looked over at him. He smiled and asked "Do you want to join us? We're all going to a movie tonight."

Angela said "Yeah Bella come with us." I looked at her and looked back at Mike.

"Oh I don't know…"

"Please Bella. I'll be fun!" Angela said.

"Alright, I'll come." I laughed.

"I'll pick you up at 4:30." I was elated to hear those words come out of Angela's mouth. So I smiled and said "Okay."

The rest of school went pretty quickly. We took notes in Bio II; Mike let me stand in the back as he played volleyball for the both of us. I had a close call when the ball came in my direction but I happened to hit it enough for Mike to hit it over the net.

"Nice hit." Mike said as we walked out to the parking lot. "Thanks." I said and jumped into my truck. When I got home I called Charlie to tell him I was going to the movies tonight. He was hesitant at first but when I told him I'd be with Mike, Angela, Jessica, and others he told me to "Have fun and don't stay out too late, it's a school night."

I said "Okay. Thanks Ch-Dad. Hey, do you need me to make dinner?"

"No, I think I'll go over to Billy's for dinner."

"Alright, have fun."

He laughed and told me he had to go. I hung up the phone and started getting ready. I wore a dark green shirt, light-colored blue jeans and my trusty rain coat. I heard a knock so I grabbed my wallet, threw it in my purse and ran downstairs. I opened the door to a smiling Angela and locked up the house.

We drove to Newton's Olympic Outfitters store just north of town. Angela told me that Mike's parents own the store when I asked about the name. When we got there Mike pulled me into a hug. I tried not to show my irritation but I certainly didn't hug him back.

I took a step back as he turned to everyone and motioned everyone to his Suburban. We all got in and I sat in the back as far from Mike as I could. Angela joined me with Ben sitting next to her. I noticed Jessica was sitting in the passenger seat talking to Mike as we pulled out.

I listened to Angela who was telling stories about her younger siblings and I couldn't help but laugh when she spoke about the time she found them gluing sheets of paper to their living room walls. The ride must have taken an hour because we got there at going on 6PM.

We went through the different movies but since I hadn't been keeping up with them lately I had no idea what was out. The other girls ecstatically gushed over a movie called "Midnight Dusk". I went along with them because I didn't know what else to do. The guys seemed apprehensive but went along with it as well.

Even after I tried to tell him not to, Ben insisted on purchasing my ticket. When he handed mine to me I thanked him. He rolled his eyes and said "It's no problem at all, Bella." He looked at Angela with a really big smile and handed her a ticket. I'm pretty sure I saw a blush show up on her. She smiled back and said "Thanks Ben." Even though she was taller than him they were a cute couple, if they were a couple.

We walked into the theatre and I looked around. _I've never been here before. _It's a lot smaller than the theatre's I went to in Phoenix. The girls headed to the bathroom so I followed. I washed my hands and brushed my fingers through my hair.

I walked out and looked around. I saw the guys in line at the concession stand. I didn't feel like buying any food so I just stayed where I was. I looked down at my ticket and saw the movie was showing in theatre 3. I checked the signs to see where the theatre was and it was around the corner to my right.

Something under the sign caught my eye and when I looked this guy was practically speed walking. The guy behind him had a look of annoyance on his face and he looked vaguely familiar but I couldn't put my finger on how or why.

Just then Angela and the other girls walked out of the bathroom and I followed them toward the boys. The boys had bought a bunch of stuff. I wondered how they could manage to eat it all until Mike handed me a bag of popcorn and a soda. I was flabbergasted so I said the first thing that came to mind, "Thanks."

I turned around and everyone headed toward the theatre. When we walked through the doors and down the hall we were all taken aback when Tyler tripped and the popcorn, nachos and the soda he was carrying went flying in front of him. The movie attendant quietly sighed and said "Don't worry about it sir we will take care of that. You can go back and get your items replaced if you'd like."

Tyler turned and walked out. Angela, Jessica, Mike and I were still laughing about the accident but I was beginning to control myself. As we turned the corner I saw the familiar guy I saw a few minutes ago. I put all of my focus on walking up the stairs; I really didn't need to make myself embarrassed tonight.

We all sat down in the highest row. Angela was sitting on my right and Mike on my left. After that hug this afternoon I was a little unsure about him being next to me but there wasn't much I could do now. The lights went down and the movie started. Tyler came back with his items and sat at the end of the row.

The movie was about a vampire who falls in love with a human. It seemed like such a complicated relationship. I couldn't picture myself in a relationship like that but they do say love makes people do crazy things. A movement in my lower vision made me looks down and I realized it was that guy. For a few seconds I tried to figure out who he could be but I was drawing a blank.

An unexpected pressure on my knee pulled me out of my reverie. I quickly looked indentifying a hand. I was momentarily confused until I realized who that hand belonged to, Mike Newton. I grabbed it and pulled it off. I crossed my legs and my arms and sat there tensed for the rest of the movie. I thought about getting up but I wasn't sure where I would go and I didn't feel like climbing over people, especially Newton. _Jerk._

I barely watched the movie so I have no idea what happened. _I really hope no one asks me about it _I thought bitterly_._ The lights turned on and the audience clapped. I rolled my eyes when I saw the bag of popcorn in my lab. Damn Newton. The guy I couldn't identify stood up and I looked to my right. Angela stood up so I picked up my drink and popcorn and followed suit. I didn't dare to look at Mike.

We all walked out to the Suburban. Tyler and Eric were talking about a scene in the movie. Lauren and Jessica and Katie were gawking over some guy. Angela and Ben were walking in silence. I didn't know where Mike was and I frankly didn't care.

The ride home was quiet at least on my part. There were quiet conversations but nothing about them attracted much of my attention. I thought about Mike's stupidity but mostly about that guy. I'm positive he didn't go to Forks High because I was certain I wouldn't forget someone as tall as him walking around.

Angela touched my arm and asked me if I wanted her to take me home. I said "Definitely." She smiled and we got out of the Suburban.

Breaking the silent she asked me about Newton and I. I couldn't hide my grimace when I heard the name. I told her "I do not know what was going through his head" and she apologized for bringing it up and for his behavior. I told her it wasn't her fault. To change the subject I thanked her for driving me. She smiled and said "You're welcome."

She dropped me off and I told her "I'll see you tomorrow." She nodded and smiled before driving off.

When I opened the door I found it strange that Charlie wasn't in the living room. I looked back to see that his cruiser wasn't here either. I quickly remembered our conversation when I got home from school. _He must still be at the Black's house_, I thought as I walked upstairs.

_BLACK! _I stopped in place and realized that the guy…boy I saw had to be Billy's son. I hadn't seen him in years but I'm pretty sure it was him. Although he's younger than me and he looked a little big to be younger than 16 I was certain that was him. I laughed and shook my head as I continued up the stairs. _I would have been up all night if I didn't figure it out. _

I took a shower and put on my pjs. I walked out to head to my room when I realized the TV was on downstairs. I walked down a few steps and called out to Charlie, "Good night, Dad."

"Good night Bells. Hey, did you enjoy the movie?"

_Ugh Newton…"_Yeah Dad." I said as I turned back up the stairs and I headed for my bed.

The next morning I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on my bedroom door.

"Bella are you up? You're going to be late to school."

I looked at the clock and I had 10 minutes to get ready. _I forgot to turn on the alarm! _

"_Isabella Swan_, are you in there?"

"Yeah dad, I'm here. Sorry I forgot to set my alarm."

"Okay. Well I'm going to work. Do you need me to call the school?"

"No, I have enough time to make it. Thanks." I said as I jumped out of bed and toward my closet. I settled on a pair of faded jeans and a white long sleeved shirt.

"Well have a good day at school."

"I'll try if I get there in time." I said as I packed my backpack waiting to hear Charlie walk down the stairs.

I ran my clothes into the bathroom and jumped in the shower. I only had time to use conditioner and soap up a little. I jumped out and put on a towel. I brushed my hair and quickly tied it up. I brushed my teeth. Then I dried off and threw on my clothes. I ran in my room for my backpack and hurried toward the kitchen to get a pop tart to eat on my way to school.

I prayed I wouldn't slip as a hurried out to the Chevy and turned it on. The time on the clock showed I had enough to eat the pop tart at school instead of risking an accident. I didn't want to chance being late so I pushed the truck a little more than usual. Luck was with me and I made it with time to spare. I picked at the pop tarts until I didn't feel like eating anymore.

The day went fairly quickly. I did my best to ignore Newton. He didn't try to bother me either. I talked to Angela at lunch about the movie. She didn't seem surprised when I told her I didn't know what happened in the end. Apparently there was some fight and then the vampire and human got married. _Odd _I thought_._

The rest of the day was uneventful really. I got a B on my Bio quiz even though I missed most of the content when it was taught. _Haha _

We watched a movie in gym about eating healthy.

To my surprise I saw Charlie's cruiser parked in its usual spot when I got home. _He isn't usually home this early. _I walked inside and heard the TV. I looked to see Charlie in his regular spot.

"Is everything alright Dad?" He looked back.

"Yeah, why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing it's just you're home?"

"Oh yeah, I called off early. If I'm needed they'll call me. If you're hungry there's pizza in the kitchen."

I nodded and went in to grab a slice. I must not have eaten enough food today because I ended up eating two more. I went upstairs to check my e-mails for the first time since I got here. While my ancient computer booted up I worked on some homework. Once the computer started up and I closed all of the pop-ups I found three e-mails from my mother. Mom got progressively more nervous with each one. I sighed and began to write.

Mom,

Calm down. Everything's fine. I've just been caught up in school.

I've made some friends. I went to the movies with them last night.

We saw "Midnight Dusk." It was interesting. Dad bought me a truck.

It's old but I love it. I miss you and I'll write you soon. Love you.

Bella.

I turned off the computer and went back to work on my homework. I just had to read a chapter in my bio II book and answer some questions. It didn't take me very long. I ended up studying some of my notes for a few hours. When I finished I went downstairs and heated up another slice of pizza.

After I finished I washed the dishes and cleaned off the counters. I looked at the clock and saw it was almost 9PM. I thought it would be a good time to get ready for bed. I walked upstairs, showered and dressed in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. I brushed my teeth and hair.

I almost ran into Charlie as I walked out of the bathroom. He looked at me and smiled.

"Good night Dad."

"Good night."

I yawned and went to bed.

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Over the weekend Charlie went fishing with his buddies. It was my first weekend there so it took some convincing that I was fine by myself. I didn't mind at all and used the alone time to clean the house. _I don't think it's been thoroughly taken care of in years. _It gave me time to think, those thoughts included Phoenix mostly. I especially missed my mother and the weather. My mind wondered onto Billy's son for a short time, I couldn't quite remember his name, not that I really even knew him though. I thought about school and the 'friends' I've made.

By the time I was done I decided to shower and cook dinner. I was just about to serve a plate for myself when Charlie came through the door. He seemed to be in quite a good mood. While we ate he talked about the fishing trip. I didn't pay to much attention but nodded at appropriate moments.

The next few weeks were a lot of the same: small talk with Charlie, e-mails from and to Mom, homework, and school. Mike ignored the situation at the movies and I didn't bring it up. He didn't try anything else so I wasn't so tense with him around but I was still mindful of being around him.


	4. Authors Note Not A Chapter

A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone for reading my story. It means so much to me to see that y'all are taking time to read it, review, and add it to your alerts. I would also like the thank fanfiction member **ILH (author of **_**My Angel**_** and **_**Loving Jacob**_**)** for giving me support. I am very grateful for that.

Also, I've edited the chapters a little. The biggest change is to chapter three, Dirty Hand (Bella's POV). I changed the ending. I'm trying to stay close to the time line in the actual book but don't worry Jacob and Bella will meet very soon.

Just to let you know I have exams next week. I'm not sure how that'll affect my updates but don't get worried. I'll update as soon as possible.


	5. Lost In Thought Jacob's POV

**The chapter below includes content/spoilers from Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, and I guess New Moon. If you haven't read them you should especially skip over the first five italic paragraphs.**

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**Chapter 4**

_Lost in Thought_

Jacob's POV

_I was running. The trees became a blur around me and I flew. I looked down at my feet - only to find they weren't feet - they were paws. I was a bear, no a dog, no, I am a wolf. I don't know why I'm in this form but I know it's better than being a human. The pain I felt as a human was too much. I wasn't running toward something I was running away from something-someone. _

_Her. I love her but I couldn't be enough to her. That wasn't the sole or even the worst reason for my pain either. I was hurting because she was giving up everything to become a monster. A stranger._

_The wolf had instincts so much stronger than human emotions. I was an animal who couldn't feel pain in the same way; a different pain, some variety, at least._

_Suddenly everything was different. I was human and there were lights and people dancing in the distance. I realized a man and woman were walking toward me. They weren't just any man and woman-I knew them. _

_I love her. She was wearing a wedding dress and she looked beautiful. I despise him. It was more than hate, he was my natural enemy. A vamp-_

_

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_

My eyes shot open and looked around the room. I was covered in sweat and my breathing was heavy. I laid there paralyzed for what felt like hours. Finally I felt my muscles relax and sat up in bed.

I walked out to the living room. My father was sitting in his wheelchair watching TV. He looked back at me with a confused expression on his face. I stood motionless and looked down at myself. _Nothing looks abnormal…_

"Aren't you up a little early?" he asked.

I looked at the clock on the stove, 3:46AM. I looked back at him and nodded. "I had a nightmare."

"Oh what was it about?"

"I'm not sure exactly. I think that movie last night got to me,"…_even though I didn't exactly pay attention to it._

"What movie?" Dad asked.

"Uh…Midnight Dusk."I said.

"That vampire movie?"

"Yeah that's the one."

"Well it'll be alright son."

I let out a short laugh. "Thanks Dad." He laughed too.

"What are you doing up?" I asked as I headed in the kitchen.

"I couldn't sleep."He said as I poured a cup of water.

"Did you know Charlie's daughter moved back?" Dad asked.

"No. What's her name again?" I asked before I took a sip.

"Isabella Swan." he answered. I nodded.

"Charlie came over for dinner, said she went to the movies last night too."

"Oh?"…_Wait a second…_ I said without looking in his direction. Understanding hit my like a ton of bricks. _That's the girl I saw? _

"Are you okay?" I guess I didn't hide my shock so well even from behind.

"Yeah I just think I saw her and at the time I wondered why the girl looked familiar." I shrugged and placed the cup in the sink. "I'm going to try to sleep. Good night dad.

"Good night son."

I walked into the bathroom to wash my face. _Why was I feeling like this? I don't even know her and I feel like I do - in a way? And that dream? What the hell was that about?_

"Jeez, Relax Jake. She used to hang out with your sisters. Of course you know her a little and the movie just messed with your head, _Re-lax_." I said in a whisper to my reflection in the mirror. I took a deep breath and walked out. I ignored that I saw Billy look in my direction as I walked in my room.

I woke up to the sound of my alarm. Great, _another day of school… _I thought as I made my way to the bathroom. I showered and threw on a long sleeve shirt and jeans. I tied my hair back and checked myself in the mirror. _Nice._

I walked into the living room expecting my father to be there but he wasn't. _I guess he went back to sleep._ I went into the kitchen for breakfast. I settled for a few slices of toast. When I finished I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

I walked out to find Quil and Embry sitting on my couch. They were arguing over the remote. I wacked them on the back of their heads and said, "My house, my remote. Give it!"

Simultaneously, they groaned and with one hand on each end of the remote they handed it to me. I held back a smile and walked around to sit on the right end of the couch. I turned on the TV to ESPN. The show was just recaps of the football game last night.

"So what did you think of Karen?" Embry asked with one raised eyebrow. He's shy around the opposite sex but his thoughts of them are frankly disturbing. I'm happy I never have to hear the worst of it.

Somewhat ignoring his underlying meaning I said, "Not my type. Quil, why not hook them up?" I said pointing toward Embry.

Quil laughed and shook his head, "Sure. I'd just love to get murdered by Claire by suggesting _that_."

The three of us laughed.

Embry got up and said "We should go to school now."

We all made our way to Quil's car.

"Shotgun!", I yelled.

* * *

We made it to school in record timing that morning. Too bad the day didn't go that quickly. I tried to focus in my classes but I had a hard time believing that the girl I saw at the movies was Charlie's daughter. She looked nothing like I remembered but I guess that would be expected since it's been at least five years since I'd seen her last.

On my way to lunch I felt a punch on my shoulder. I looked over to see none other than Quil Ateara. He was shorter than me but brawny. He began to work out the summer before we started high school. He looked a little concerned and I immediately knew what he was thinking. I sighed when he asked "Are you worried about the date?"

"No, I just got stuff on my mind."

"Like what?"

"It's nothing."

"It doesn't seem like 'nothing'." He stated.

"It's just…hard to explain."

He laughed and said "Let me know when you figure it out."

I had to laugh back and nodded.

After school the three of us headed to my garage. Embry and I sat in the unfinished 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit while Quil stood next to the car and laid his hand on the hood.

"When are you going to finish this baby, Jake?" Quil asked.

"I'm currently saving money to buy the master cylinder, remember?"

Quil laughed and walked over to pick up a crate from under the work table to sit on. "You haven't gotten one yet?"

"Nope," I sighed, "and dad won't buy it."

"Have you tried the dump?" Embry asked.

I laughed, "Yeah there's got to be a few of those out there." I said sarcastically.

We continued to talk about random things until the guys had to leave. I went inside for dinner. I cooked up some steaks and potatoes. Dad and I mainly ate in silence except when he asked me about my day. There wasn't much to discuss so that conversation didn't last long. When we finished eating dad went into the living room to watch a game while I washed the dishes.

Afterwards, I walked outside and headed toward the beach. _I need some alone time. _I walked down the beach for a while thinking to myself about Chief Swan's daughter mostly. I ran into Sam and Leah, Leah is Harry and Sue Clearwater's daughter. Her father is considered an elder for the Quileute tribe, like my father. Sam is a cool guy. He dropped out of school not too long ago but seemed to be doing alright. We exchanged greetings and waves before they continued running around the beach and I walked.

Just after the sun set I started to head back home. I watched TV with my dad until he went to bed. I soon followed his actions by going to bed.

The next month was uneventful except when Quil and Embry got into a wrestling match, one Saturday, in my living room because of a comment Embry accidently made about Claire. I angrily shooed them out of my house before they broke something which in turn forced them to gang up on me. I got a good hit in the jaw which ached for a few days. I gave Embry a good kick in the groin which had him down in seconds. Quil and I had a good laugh about that until I caught him off guard by doing the same to him. I ran inside while they were still down and locked the doors. _They're going to get me back for that._

_

* * *

_

_**What did you think of that dream? **_

_**Does Jacob come off as creepy? Like should I tone down on his interest in Bella?**_

_**Sorry about not updating sooner-the site has been frustrating for the last day.**_

_**Also, I added a poll to my profile. Please check it out and vote.  
I've started the process of another Jacob & Bella fanfiction (werewolves/vampires included) and I'm having trouble choosing from the one of the spellings. You can vote for the two you like best.**_

_**Oh & don't worry Bella & Jacob will meet be very very soon. :) Although I'm not sure if I'll switch POV's as often.  
**_

_**Thanks everyone! **_


	6. Boy Meets Girl Jacob's POV

**Chapter 5**

_Boy Meets Girl  
_

It was a sunny day in La Push so Quil, Embry and I decided to head to the beach. It was just before 9AM so the place was empty. There wasn't much to do so we went to an area of rocks and sat down. We skimmed pebbles over the water and joked about random things at school. The last month had its share of embarrassing, yet funny moments, not on our behalf fortunately. A girl tripped in the cafeteria, a couple was caught doing _stuff _behind the school, and some idiot guy showed up to school in a female bathing suit. Where's the bleach for that mental image?

About an hour later Sam came to hang out with us. He's 19 so none of us hang out with him often but when we do we have a good time. A little after noon Quil had to leave to hang out with Claire. He rolled his eyes when Embry and I bugged him about spending time with her so much. They'd only been together for four months.

Embry, Sam and I headed up the beach. Sam was talking to us about some cars he saw at a car show he went to a few months back. The cars he described sounded awesome but so out of my league.

A while later we ran into a group of people. They looked around our age. They weren't from the reservation but some of them have been here in the past so I assumed they were from Forks High. I looked around the group and my eyes quickly landed on a newly familiar face. Isabella Swan, a girl I've been thinking about every so often since I saw her at the movies a month ago. I'd heard Billy talking to Charlie a few times on the phone but I didn't get much information from their conversations. I wasn't going to even ask about her because I knew Dad would make more out of it than necessary.

She looked from the spot in the sand she was looking at to look at me. I gave her a polite smile in which she returned. She was definitely pretty, in that girl-next-door kind of way. She has brown hair and – almost - matching brown eyes. I contemplated what to do next. I looked around at the guys who I'm assuming she came with to see if any of them looked like they were her boyfriend or something but they seemed to be to busy eating and talking to each other so maybe not.

I felt an elbow nudge me in my ribs and soon regretted looking at Embry who had a sly smile on his face. I narrowed my eyes at him causing him to roll his eyes. He sat down on a log and I joined him. One of the guys, I think he said his name was Eric, introduced their group and Sam followed suit by introduced us. I noticed Bella didn't seem too interested in being there although she occasionally talked to the dark haired girl on her left. I watched her from the corner of my eye occasionally as I talked to Embry.

Aptly Bella stood up and sauntered away from the group looking out toward the ocean. I contemplated following her when I was nudged yet again. I glared at Embry until he looked in her direction pointedly as if he was encouraging me to go. At that moment I wasn't sure if I wanted to punch him or man hug him. I especially hadn't realized I was that obvious.

I shrugged before I stood up. She was out of sight but I was sure she hadn't gone far. I walked around the curve and she was sitting on a nearby driftwood tree that had its roots sticking out like and attenuated legs of a huge, pale spider.[Twilight pg 123]

When I was a few feet away she realized I was approaching her. I got nervous when her eyes widened a little but her featured softened and a light smile appeared. I returned the smile and stopped in place.

"You're Isabella Swan, are you?"

She sighed and said "Bella."

"I'm Jacob Black." I said as I held out my hand in a friendly gesture. "You bought my dad's truck."

"Oh." She said and shook my hand "You're Billy's son."

"Yeah and you should remember my older sisters."

"Rachel and Rebecca" she said as if it suddenly came to her. "Are they here?"

"No," I shook my head and continued, "Rachel got a scholarship to Washington State, and Rebecca married a Samoan surfer – she lives in Hawaii now."

"Married. Wow." She exclaimed.

"Do you like the truck?" I asked sitting down on the tree sitting about a foot from her.

"I love it. It runs great."

I laughed. "Yeah but it's really slow. I was so relieved when Charlie bought it. My dad wouldn't let me work on building another car when we had a perfectly good vehicle right there."

"It's not that slow." She objected.

"Have you tried going over sixty?"

"No."

"Good. Don't." I grinned.

She grinned back and my heart almost exploded.

"So you build cars?" she asked…_impressed?_

"When I have free time, and parts. You wouldn't happen to know where I could get my hands on a master cylinder for a 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit? I asked jokingly.

"Sorry," she laughed, "I haven't seen any lately, but I'll keep my eyes open for you." _Like she even knows what that is…_

"Is Forks driving you insane yet?" I asked with a smile.

"Oh that's an understatement." She grimaced and I nodded understandingly.

"Do you want to walk back?" she asked.

I jumped up willingly as she stood up.

"So, you're what, sixteen? She asked as we began walking.

"I just turned fifteen." I was flattered.

"Really? You look older."

"I'm tall for my age." I explained.

We hadn't quite reached the others when a blond guy stood up and said "There you are, Bella." He said in a relieved yet jealous tone and waving his hands in the air.

"Is that your boyfriend?" I asked alarmed. _Please say no._

"No definitely not." she whispered and turned to wink at me. _Phew… wait did she just wink… at me? _I couldn't help but smile at her.

When I looked back at the blond his eyes were obviously appraising me. I wasn't sure of the reason but his expression became one of satisfaction. I stifled an eye roll as Bella and I _hmm…, _continued walking back to sit on one of the logs. I looked to see Sam and Embry watching us. Sam was smiling and Embry looked like he was looking at the funniest thing ever - without laughing.

"Where have you been?" the blond asked.

"Just catching up with Jacob here." Bella said pointing her thumb toward me.

"You know Bella, Jacob?" Lauren asked boldly – from the other side of the fire.

"We've sort of known each other since I was born." I said gleefully.

"How nice." She said but her tone didn't match her words at all. I wasn't sure why but I mentally shrugged it off.

"Well, it looks like it's going to rain soon so we're going to start packing up." The blond said. We all looked at the sky and sure enough he was right. _Crap_.

"Okay," Bella said as she jumped up. "I'm coming."

"It was nice to see you _again_," I said to taunt the blond again. _What is his name?_

"It really was. Next time Charlie comes down to see Billy, I'll come, too." She said as she began to walk.

I grinned maybe a little too wide and said "That would be cool." She stopped and turned toward me.

"Oh if you finish your car before then, you should stop by. Well when you get your license - if you haven't." For the first time in my life I damned my age but nodded with a smile and she smiled back before turning away.

I watched her put her hood on and felt drops of rain falling on my skin. I sighed when I remembered Sam and Embry were there. I hesitated looking at them but decided to get it over with.

They were obviously amused. Sam was fighting a smile but lost. When my eyes met Embry's he burst into a roaring laughter and I waited for the words to come out of his mouth.

"Well, well, well, there Jake. What's going on there? " He asked pointing in the direction Bella walked in and back at me.

"Nothing Embry." I almost growled.

He laughed again and nodded with narrowed eyes and said "Sure Jake."

I let out an exacerbated sigh and stood up to walk home.

* * *

_**Let me know what you think of the story. Am I boring you?  
Don't be afraid to tell me what you think, but don't flame.**_

_**Have you seen the new clips from New Moon? The 14 second teaser yesterday and the 1+ minute clip that was leaked this morning(in French)?  
Jacob looks great. Bella looks great. The movie looks great. Heck everything/everyone looks great. I can't wait for the film. November cannot come fast enough.**_

_**  
I've also started the first chapter of my next fanfiction. When I get 30 reviews for this story I'll post it. That should give me time to write more for both of these stories. Here's the short summary:**_

After Bella gets her wish to have a real honeymoon as a human; Edward is set to fulfill his 'other promise' but a certain circumstance changes things. What happens when Jake finds himself in trouble? NO NESSIE. JacobxBella

_**Let me know how that sounds!**_

_**Again, thank you everyone for checking out my story, reviewing, favoriting, and adding it to your alerts. :)**_


	7. Guess Who's Coming for Dinner Bella

**Chapter 6**

_I Guess I'm Mars or Something_

Bella's POV

Last Friday when Angela asked me if I wanted to go the beach at La Push I agreed with little reluctance. I was beginning to think of Angela as a really good friend. I haven't spent a lot of time with her but she comes off as being very sincere.

The next day a few of the 'lunch table group' met at Newton's Outfitters at 10AM. The beach was empty even though the weather was decent for Forks. I assumed it would be a long day when Lauren eyed me scornfully. Of course Mike was happy to see me. _Sigh. _It was a fifteen mile drive to La Push. I was glad to have the window seat. The scenery was gorgeous so the ride wasn't so bad even though the Suburban was claustrophobic with nine people squeezed in.

I was surprised to recognize the beach so clearly when we got there. I had been there with my father countless times but hadn't been to the beach since I was eleven. The mile-long crescent of First Beach and the dark gray water was breathtaking. The smell of brine tickled my nose and the cool moist breeze lightly kissed my skin.

Mike led us to a ring of driftwood. The guys walked around the beach for wood for the fire. Mike created a blue fire which was evidently caused by the salt. I spent most of the morning trying to get Mike to give his attention to Jessica, instead of me. It wasn't hard to get Jessica in on the act, without her knowledge of course.

The guys decided to go for a hike – when Lauren stayed behind – I decided to join them. The beauty of the forestry gave me the sense of serenity. When the boys got hungry we began the trek back. When we got back I saw there was a spot next to Angela so I joined her. We had simple conversations throughout the day.

I heard Lauren mumble something indistinct about "hotties" to Jessica who was sitting next to her. I glanced at them briefly and they were sitting across from me. I looked down at my feet not really wanting to hear anything else they said when I had a sense I was being watched. I took a gander and locked eyes with Billy's son. He lightly smiled at me and I smiled back. After a few moments Eric introduced us and the older guy from the three of the Quileute's, Sam introduced the boys with him: Jacob and something that sounded like Emily.

Angela whispered something that sounded like "Looks like someone is into you." I rolled my eyes at her but smiled at her, amused by her assumption. I quickly dismissed her when she mentioned I "should go for a walk and maybe he'll follow…" but after a moment I decided "what the hell" and looked at her narrow-eyed and heard a quiet laugh as I stood up.

I breathed in the ocean breeze as I walked and looked out at the ocean to seem inconspicuous and relaxed. I walked around the bend when I spotted a driftwood tree with roots sticking out and went over to sit down. I began feeling ridiculous for trying Angela's suggestion when I was startled by a person – him – standing in front of me. He must have sense my momentary fear since he stopped in place and lightly smiled.

He was a tall, his hair was long glossy, and black; tied back at the nape of his neck, his skin was a beautiful, silky, russet color; his eyes were dark, set deep above the high planes of his check bones. The childish roundness around his chin made me think he's about fifteen but could probably pass as older if you didn't pay attention. We chatted for a while about his sisters, the truck and his hobby for building cars. Mike annoyed me by being a little possessive. It seemed to alarm Jacob. I did not want him or anyone to think there was anything going on between Mike and me. We went on about visiting each other and I really did want to see him again. His smile was bright and beautiful.

_I think I really like seeing him smile…_

I was brought out of my reverie when bell rang. Jessica walked with me in the hall and said "I think that Quileute boy at the beach was totally into you." I laughed but didn't say anything. I didn't want to talk about it with her – she was a little too friendly with Lauren that it made me nervous.

We made it to the cafeteria and got our lunches. Angela was smiling at me as I sat down. I was afraid she would say something about it like Jessica but she started up a conversation with Katie.

When lunch was over Angela walked with me.

"Could you help me get ready for a date tonight?"

"A date? Who may I ask is the lucky guy?" I asked.

"Ben." She looked down.

"Aww no way! Of course I will but I'm not the best at the whole make-up thing..."

"Don't worry! I just need have you tell me how I look – honestly."

"Okay, honesty - no problem." I smiled.

When school was over I followed Angela to her house. I called Charlie as soon as we arrived to tell him where I was. He was fine with it of course but wanted me home by five since the Black's were coming over for dinner. Totally didn't see that one coming…

I followed Angela up to her room and sat down on her bed while she went into the bathroom to get ready. She came out in a light yellow vintage button up shirt with ruffled sleeves and fitted dark jeans. The color of the shirt was perfect on her. I gave her two thumbs up. She smiled. Angela walked back into the bathroom and I went in behind her so we could chat.

"Is it okay if I sit on the counter?"

"Go ahead." I jumped up.

"What time is Ben picking you up?"

"5:30."

"Oh, I have to be home by 5 is that okay? I have to cook dinner for four tonight."

"That's fine Bella. Who's coming over?"

I laughed. "The Black's."

"Really?"

"Yeah. They're friends of the family."

"The boy from Saturday is a Black right?"

"Yes." I looked down at my feet hanging above the ground embarrassed.

"Oh you need to let me do your hair then Bella." She laughed. "A little make-up...."

"Oh no, I don't need all that."

"Of course you _don't _need it_._ And from the way he was looking at you he doesn't think so either. Trust me I won't do too much. Please?" She stopped doing her hair to look at me.

"This is your night Angela. I can't-", I shook my head and looked her in the eyes.

"Bella, I don't mind. I want to!"

I sighed. "Alright, but not too much and nothing fancy." _Girly things like this are not my thing…_

"I promise." She smiled.

When she finished her hair it was up in a pony tail and the tail was all curly. Her bangs were curved over her forehead.

"You look amazing, Angela."

"Thanks Bella. Now I think I should put a few more waves in your hair – make the natural ones a little more distinct. How about a little mascara and a light gloss, nothing else?"

"That sounds fine."

"Okay. Stand here." She pointed in front of her. I jumped down and turned toward the mirror and she went to work. She was done in about 30 minutes.

I looked in the mirror and I looked nice. I smiled. "Thanks."

"You look great Bella." She said as she went to work on her make-up.

When she was finished we walked out into her bedroom. I saw that it was about time for me to leave. We said our goodbyes, the see you tomorrows, and good lucks. As I drove home I found myself getting more and more nervous. I've never been nervous about a boy before, not that there's ever been any boys per say. Of course there were great looking guys in Phoenix but none of them ever really interested me.

I parked the truck in its usual spot and noticed a little black car parked behind the cruiser that I'd never seen before. I stepped out of the truck and made my way to the door. As I made my way in I could hear Charlie yelling at the TV obviously annoyed by whichever game he was watching.

He had calmed down enough when I made my way to the doorway of the living room to say "Hey Bells, have fun at Angela's?" I noticed Billy was sitting on the couch next to Charlie and Jacob was sitting in the chair parallel to where I was standing - smiling. Billy turned in his spot to look at me and smiled. It was different from his son's smile and almost as bright.

"Yeah, Char-Dad." I said.

"Well hello Bella. It's been a long time." I hadn't seen Billy in about five years but his voice was as recognizable as if I had heard it yesterday. It made me feel like a child again.

"It most certainly has. Are you hungry?" I asked.

There was a chorus of "Yeahs". I laughed as I turn toward the kitchen.

I started pulling things out of the refrigerator and set them out on the counter.

"Need help?"I was startled by the familiar husky, voice. "Sorry I didn't mean to alarm you."

"No it's fine." I waved a dismissive hand at him."But sure, you can if you want."

"What are we having?" he asked as he came to stand next to me.

"Salad, steaks, and baked potatoes." I answered.

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Besides the salad that sounds great." He smiled.

"Hey salads are healthy." I countered.

"Sure, sure." He said.

"Okay so you wrap the potatoes in foil and I'll fix up the steaks." We both went to work. Coincidently we glanced at each other and smiled. I looked down at the foil covered potatoes and said "If you don't mind, set them on that tray" I pointed to the tray sitting in the dish drainer that I washed this morning, "and turn the oven onto 450° and put the potatoes on the top shelf."

He did just that and I carried the tray of steaks and when he moved out of the way I placed them on the oven shelf underneath the potatoes.

I looked up at him and noticed he just radiated a warmth and happiness. He was smiling like he did a job well done.

He nudged my arm with his elbow "We seem to make a good team don't we?"

I laughed. "Yeah, guess we do." I realized then that I felt drawn to him. Like us being around each other was something natural, easy. Jacob reminded me of an earthbound sun and I speculated that could make me some type of planet – I guess Mars or something. It was a strange feeling but I welcomed it.

I walked over to the refrigerator and got out a soda, "Want one?", "Sure" he replied. I handed him the one in my hand and reach for my own. I perched myself on the counter and he leaned against it by me.

"So how are things?" Jacob asked.

"Pretty good." I smiled. "How about you? Did you finish your car?"

"No." He frowned. "I still need parts. We borrowed that one." He pointed his thumb in the direction of the front yard. "How's the truck?"

"Great. No problems. You must have done an excellent job taking care of it."

He laughed "Well there's not a lot to do in La Push. Fixing, maintaining cars gives me something to do and hey I enjoy it." He shrugged.

Jacob watched as I took a sip of the soda. I thought he would look away but he didn't so I looked over at him. "What?" I asked feeling a little self-conscious. He moved his head and his gaze to the soda in his hands. "Nothing." "Tell me." I said nudging his arm with my elbow.

He looked back at me contemplating something and said "You're hair looks…nice."I laughed. "I can tell that's not what you meant to say, Jake." He sighed. "You're hair really does look good but you're right…that's not what I was going to say…" He put his hand on the back of his head and shifted his feet. "I was wondering if you were busy Friday night…?" He barely moved his head toward me but his eyes met mine.

I was pretty sure we heard laughing from the other room and I realized there was no sound coming from the TV. Jacob and I both laughed when the sound turned back on.

Jake continued, "I mean if you want to, I'd understand if you don't."

I rolled my eyes. "Where will you be taking me?"

"I was thinking just a movie, maybe dinner."

"I'd like to Jake but on one condition."

"What?"

"If we do dinner, let's just get take out." I simpered.

He chuckled. "Deal."

Dinner went smoothly. It was hard to ignore the sly smiles from Billy and Charlie but it didn't bother me too much. My blush made an occasional appearance when they just happen to make comments about movies that were coming out; apparently they knew this one coming and did some research.

After dinner Jacob and I washed the dishes. I giggled when he told me a story about Charlie getting in a 'fight' with a Christmas tree a few years back. I felt bad that I never gave much thought to how he spent holidays but it was nice to know he spent them with his best friend.

Just before we finished the dishes Jacob asked me if it would be alright to pick me up at six on Friday.

"That would be fine." I smiled and his answering smile made my heart skip a beat.

* * *

_**This chapter was oddly difficult for me. I don't really like it but I got the end result I wanted. **_

_**Should I write the 'date' in Jacob or Bella's POV? Both? Let me know what you think!**_

_**I also posted the first chapter's of my two other stories. I hope you check them out if you haven't.**_


	8. Building Sand Castles Jacob's POV

**Chapter 7**

_Building Sand Castles_

_Ugh! Now she's going to realize I'm too young for her. For sure she'll point her finger at me and accuse me of my fraud. And to think I could date Bella Swan. _I thought as I paced back and forth in my tiny living room. Last night I told Bella that I would pick her up at six on Friday and I don't even have my license. It's too far a drive to just borrow someone's car and anxiously hope the night will not become the worst night ever.

"Jake what is wrong with you?

"Nothing." I lied.

"C'mon it's not… nothing. You look like you're about to blow up." Quil said.

I relaxed enough to sit on the couch. I might as well tell him.

"I'm supposed to go on a date Friday night."

"A date? When did this happen? Who is she?" Quil asked eagerly.

I sighed. "Bella Swan."

"The police chief's daughter?

I nodded and put my head in my hands. "I don't think it'll actually happen though."

"Oh so you haven't asked her?" He laughed.

"No, I did ask her! I just don't have a license." I groaned. "I told her I'd pick her up at six and I can't drive legally. How could I forget something like that?"

"How 'bout we make it a double date? Claire and I? You and Bella? I'll drive."

I looked at him suspiciously. "I don't know."

Quil rolled his eyes. "It's the only way it'll work. I mean unless you _want _her to drive you or get a ride with Charlie in the cruiser?" He smirked.

I was defeated and by the look on his face I could tell he knew it. I refused to feel like any less of a man - I nodded. I stood up and looked around the kitchen for Dad's address book. I pulled it out of the top drawer and looked for Charlie's number. When I found it I called.

"Hello?" Bella said. Her voice sounded so beautiful even on the phone.

"Bella, it's Jake. I…" I looked at Quil who was enjoying this way too much. "I found out a friend… is going to the movies tomorrow with a date and he offered to take us. I mean if you don't mind?"

"Oh yeah that's fine." She laughed. My body was frozen but I was doing a touchdown dance in my head.

"Great." I said when I figured out how to vocalize correctly.

"Oh! My dad just got home. I have to go. Bye." Bella blurted out.

"Bye" I said and hung up.

Roars of laughter erupted and I turned to see Embry had joined us without me noticing. Quil and Embry seemed to have filled each other in on what they both knew and were having a field day with their newfound knowledge.

"Man Jake you've _really _got it bad." Embry said matter-of-factly.

"What is _it _exactly?" I asked even though I already knew what he meant and they both knew it.

"Oh please. We know you know what he means. I can tell. I felt the same way for Claire the moment I met her." Quil said as he lost himself in thought. "You're falling in love with her." He said smiling and looking at me.

"What? No. I am not. I don't even know her." I said taken aback.

"Sometimes you don't need to know someone to have feelings for them."

"I guess but I wouldn't say 'I love her'." _Yet._ I continued mentally. I shook my head to get it out. I'm just getting a head of myself. She'll probably get snatched up by some really great looking guy who drives a shiny car and she'll throw me to the dogs one day.

"Haven't you known her since you were kids?" Embry asked breaking me from my thoughts.

"Sort of. I was really young when she used to come around. She mostly hung out with my sisters. We were never really friends or anything. She helped me with my homework a few times. Our dads took us both fishing sometimes too."

I shrugged and chuckled as I suddenly remembered something from my childhood. "I remember one time she helped me build a really big sand castle when I was about seven. My sisters felt they were 'too old' for that but Bella helped me. Once we were done our dads were impressed. I think there's a photo around here somewhere. Of course right after we took the photo my sisters tore the sand castle apart." I slapped my knee and laughed out loud at the memory. "Bella and I got so angry! Especially Bella! Oh man she turned so red and ran off."

I realized the guys were really quiet so I clenched my teeth and looked at them. They had amused smiles on their faces that I just wanted to smack off. Instead I sighed and said "We should get to school before we're late guys."

The day went by slowly. I mostly thought about Bella and our upcoming date. I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited! I also thought about what Quil said. I'm still not sure he's right about me falling in love with Bella Swan. I do think about her a lot…

The final bell rang and Quil and Embry were by my side as we walked to Quil's 1990 black Mazda MX-6. It's a great car but I can't wait for my Rabbit to be finished. My car will be a dream come true when I'm done with her. Maybe take Bella on a date… Wait it's too early for that. We haven't even gone on our first date yet!

I felt something hit my forehead and looked to see a piece of crumbled paper in my lab. What the heck? I realized at some point I had gotten in the car and we were parked in front of my house. I looked in front of me to see Embry looking at me with a smartass grin on his face. I sat their frozen for a second while I slowly lifted my hand.

YES! I got him! I hit Embry in the face with the paper and got him right in the nose. We all started laughing. When I got out of the car Embry called out the window.

"Jake you'll want to stay out of La La land tomorrow night if you want to have a successful date. So you may want to get it out of your system tonight." I looked at him and he gave me another stupid grin. I was trying to decipher what he meant by that but really didn't want to think about it so I rolled my eyes and went inside without giving it another thought.

Billy was on the phone. I wasn't sure who with until I heard him speak.

"Jacob just got in from school." He said grinning at me. "I think he's excited to see her. Yes he will be a perfect gentleman." He said giving me a look. I sighed. Charlie must be on the other line. Dad laughed. "See you this weekend Charlie."

"Hello son. I left some money on the counter for your date with Bella tomorrow. I hope I raised you well." He said giving me a laughable warning look. It was laughable because he was practically fighting a smile. I had no intention of being anything but respectable to Bella. He turned the T.V. on and I went to take a shower.

After my shower I put on a pair of boxers and sweat pants. I got my wallet out of my jeans I wore today and went into the kitchen to put the money in it. There was $60. Where does he think we're going? I shrugged.

I got a can of Manwich out of the cupboard and set it up to cook on the stove. Things dragged by slowly. Could it be six o'clock Friday yet? I grew impatient watching the T.V. after dinner. I grabbed a white long-sleeved shirt before I went outside for a walk on the beach.

I ran into Sam and Seth Clearwater. Seth is Leah's little brother. Seth ran up to me and I gave him a high five. He's a great, happy kid. He asked me to join in their game of football, I accepted. I definitely needed to get rid of some of this energy before bed. Seth and I formed a team together since Sam was a little bigger than me and older than the two of us.

A while later Embry, Paul and Jared joined in. Embry was on my team with Paul and Jared on Sam's team. We were now three on three. I only know Paul and Jared from around the reservation and through Sam. No one really seemed to be paying attention to any kind of scores and we just had some fun.

Just as the sun was setting, Claire and Quil showed up with a few boxes of pizzas and sodas from the little pizza shop where they both worked part time. Sam started a bond fire and we all settled down to eat telling jokes and stories. Seth came and sat down next to me and told me about a book he read about werewolves. Embry brought up that I had a date tomorrow which made me think about her again.

I admit that I am completely infatuated with Bella Swan.

* * *

_**I know it's not the date chapter! I'm so sorry! To make up for it I'll have Bella's pre-date chapter up in a few days.**_

_**I would love it if you could review with some ideas about what should happen during the date. i.e. What type of movie should they see? etc.  
**_


	9. Port Angeles Bella's POV

**Chapter 8**

_Port Angeles_

This morning I woke up with the feeling that today would be a strange day. To begin with I slept through my alarm. Charlie was probably already at work. I rushed to get ready for school since I only had a few minutes before I would actually be late. I ran into the kitchen to grab an apple and on my way out something unusual caught my attention.

On the counter there was a neon pink piece of paper. My curiosity got the better of me and I grabbed the paper. As I skimmed through it, all I could make out was gibberish. I was getting impatient but managed to calm myself down enough to regain my ability to concentrate clearly. _I was already late anyways._ I justified.

_Bells,_

_Minor accident on the route to Forks High.  
Wait at the house until you hear from me._

_Dad._

I laughed as I thought about my rush. I placed the apple back in the bowl and took my school stuff up to my room. On my way down the stairs to fix something to eat the phone rang. I assumed it was Charlie.

It was Jacob. He asked about going on a double date with his friend-whoever that may be. Charlie came home while I was on the phone. As he was hanging up his jacket he was mumbling something but I couldn't make it out.

"Hey Ch-Dad. Is everything alright?" I asked as he came into the kitchen for coffee.

"I take it you got my note?" I nodded. "There was a motorcycle accident. With the ice on the roads the driver lost control. The traffic was backed up on the road leading to school." He paused shaking his head. "Bella, accidents take up a majority of my duty. You just moved here so just remember to be safe especially on the roads, okay?" He said giving me a pointed look. "And no motorcycles. Ever."

"No problem Dad." I said. It was silent for a moment and I began to make breakfast.

"You on the phone when I got home?" He asked.

"Yes." I answered.

"It's early. Who was it?" He asked.

"Jacob Black." I said getting the feeling that I was smiling to myself as I said the name out loud. Tonight I would really need to figure out what I should wear. Nothing came to mind. I left a lot of my good clothes in Phoenix.

"Oh really?" He asked feigning nonchalance. I could hear the smile in his tone.

"Yep." I said.

"You've got that date tomorrow?"

"Yeah." I answered. We fell into more silence until Charlie spoke again.

"What did you think of the pink paper?"

I laughed. "I would have headed to school if it weren't for that color."

He laughed and probably gave himself a mental pat on the back. I silently laughed at the mental image that idea created in my head.

"After breakfast I'll give you a ride to school."

My mood went sour and a drop of grease hit my hand. "Ah!" I yelped as I turned off the stove and grabbed a cloth.

"You okay?" Charlie asked as I dampened the cloth to rub it against my hand and set it down.

"Yeah, just grease." I said. I got the omelets on the plates and took them to the table. Charlie smelled the aroma and sighed contently. "Thanks Bells."

I smiled before turning around to grab a cup from the cabinet and a carton of milk from the fridge. I sat down with my cup. We ate in silence as Charlie picked up the sport section from the newspaper. After breakfast I took the plates and the cups to the sink and washed them out.

Charlie walked out of the kitchen and I assumed he was getting his stuff together. When I turned around to head upstairs he was already in his puffy jacket and was attaching his gun belt. "I'll be in the car." I hurried to the bathroom to brush my teeth before running into my room to put on a jacket and my book bag.

Opening the front door and seeing the police cruiser made my nerves a bit frantic. **Bella Swan arrives to school in her father's police car. **I might as well be in the back seat I thought as I sat in the passenger seat. The impending embarrassment could almost distract me from the frigid air.

The ride to school took less time than I could have hoped. The only sign of the accident was one of the deputy's parked on the side of the road.

Pulling into the empty parking lot reminded me that school had been in session for almost two hours now. No one would be in the parking lot for a least another five minutes for next period. I grabbed my things and quickly got out of the car with a quick "Thanks dad." In return I got an "I'll be back to pick you up after school." I couldn't control the grimace that appeared on my face. Charlie laughed and said "Have a good day kid."

I turned around and headed in the direction of my class. Before opening the door I tucked my head down and walked in. All eyes were on me but by the time I got to my seat the bell rang so I was no longer the center of attention. Can't say I wasn't a little peeved that the bell rang just as I sat down.

The rest of the day went by in a flash. My morning consisted of boring lecture after boring lecture. The talk of the day was the wreck before school.

Lunch was a different story. I whispered (or so I thought) to Angela about the date and she hugged me.

"I'm so happy for you Bella." She said with a smile and I had to smile back. I couldn't help but be excited about this date.

"What's going on Bella?" Mike asked. I stared at him wondering if I should say anything but any hope of keeping things quiet were too much for one person at the table.

"Sounds like Bella may have a _date_." Lauren spoke in a tone I couldn't place.

Before I could react I realized everyone at the table was staring at me. I ducked my head and my hair fell over my shoulders creating a wall on both sides of my face. Unfortunately my hair failed to cover the most crucial part of my face – the front in which everyone was currently staring at.

"What date?" Eric questioned.

"Bella! Is that true?" Jessica said enthusiastically. I lifted my head up slightly and noticed she looked like she was about to squeal. I nodded slowly.

"Oh my gosh! Who? When? How?" She asked in a high pitch voice as she leaned forward to get close to me from her seat next to Mike.

"Um…" I really felt uncomfortable about this. Angela came to my rescue by smoothly maneuvering Jessica into talking about something else. Before I could give Angela a 'thank you' look Jessica turned her attention back to me.

"So Bella who is the guy? Does he go here? Do we know him? Is he cute? You must tell us!" Jessica asked.

"No he doesn't go here." I said. _You seem to know him. _I thought as I remembered Lauren knew him by name.

Trying to make a joke Mike spoke up with a laugh. "It's not that Jack kid from La Push?"

"Jacob." I corrected him. That made Mike freeze in place. His mouth was open and his eyes had slightly widened. I almost laughed but I was stopped short when I heard a laugh come from Lauren's direction. I turned my attention to her and gave her an uncharacteristic glare. In the corner of my eye I could see Mike turned his attention to his tray.

"You're. Going on a. Date. With Jacob Black." She said in between laughs. Once she sobered a bit she gave me a look of disgust and mirth. "He's like fifteen years old?"

"I fail to see why it matters?" I muttered coldly. Truth be told it was somewhat of a lie. I had never given that fact much thought. He is about two years younger than me. As the saying goes, 'age is nothing but a number' right? It's just a date anyways. It's not something to worry about right now.

Before Lauren could say anything Angela spoke "I think it's great." As if taking a page from my thoughts she added, "In the words of Aaliyah 'Age Ain't Nothing but a Number.'" She smiled at me. I was very thankful to her for sticking up for me.

Jessica laughed and said "Bella's a cougar." I had no clue what she meant by that. Observing my confusion Jessica continued, "Women who go for younger men." Then she winked at me.

"Bella's hardly a cougar Jessica. I think you have to be decades older than the male to be considered a cougar." Eric joined in before taking a drink from his soda.

"Whatever." Jessica said. "Jacob hardly looks fifteen anyways."

Katie, who was facing Eric, turned her head toward Lauren "Lauren I thought you said he was hot."

Lauren seemed shocked for a second but quickly recovered with an eye roll. "I meant his _friends_ Katie! Did you even see the older guys he was with?" Katie rolled her eyes and looked down at the papers and book on the table. Eric seemed to be helping her with an assignment.

"Oh yeah. The bigger guy was smokin'. I think he has a girlfriend though." Jessica added with a shrug. "OH! Bella! We should go shopping this weekend. You need something cute for the date."

Thinking this would make me home free I clarified that the date was tomorrow.

"Tonight it is then. I'll pick you up at your place at five." I opened my mouth to protest when I remember my thoughts this morning. There was nothing decent in my closet. I conceded.

Usually, I would be comforted that school had finally ended for the day. Today was not one of those days. Charlie was already parked when school was over. He even honked the horn to attract my attention.

"Why is your dad here?" Mike asked looking back and forth between me and the cruiser.

"He dropped me off this morning because of the accident. " I heard a few Oh's from Mike, Jessica, and Eric as I waved bye and headed to the car.

When I reached the police cruiser I heard Jessica yell, "Bella!" I looked over my shoulder wondering what she wanted. "Five o' clock!" I nodded awkwardly when I understood and I felt the heat rise to my cheeks as I opened the door.

"You okay Bella?" Charlie asked when I sank into the passenger seat. "Yeah dad." Without another word we made the way home.

"Dad I know it's a school night but Jessica invited me to Port Angeles tonight…"

"For what?"

"Shopping." _Please say no._

He looked shocked. "Shopping?" I nodded.

"Okay. Be home by 9:30. I'll give you some money when we get home."

"Great." I muttered. Tonight was going to be a very long night.

* * *

Angela mentioned something about needing to go shopping for a family gathering when I noticed she was in Jessica's car in front of my house. I was glad to have Angela there. I wasn't sure what kind of shopper Jessica was but I had a feeling I would be used as a Barbie doll.

The drive to Port Angeles was filled with Jessica talking about clothes and make-up and boys – specifically Mike. In my best attempts to follow along I couldn't stop myself from zoning her voice out every so often. A squeal of excitement or gasp would shake me right out of it. Angela didn't seem to be having as much trouble following along which I think kept the attention from coming to me.

In Port Angeles we arrived at a store across from a McDonald's. When we walked in I noticed the place was very warm and small. It was nothing like the stores – well the mall - in Phoenix. Jessica picked out a lot of stuff that wasn't me at all. I can't imagine what I would look like in a tight mini dress. There has to be a dress code for a first date right?

At first Angela suggested helping but I didn't want to impose on what she came here for so I told her that I would be a while and she should do what she needed first. I was right because she was finished before I finished looking through the rack of clothes.

Both girls would hold up items of clothing and mentally I sorted them in two categories 'never in a million years' and 'those are possibilities' – the funny thing was that the former were mostly items Jessica picked out.

After an hour I finally found an outfit that I pleasantly liked. It was a blue blouse and khaki-colored skinny jeans. Angela liked it too but Jessica didn't seem to agree with us. I changed back and picked out a pair of gray flats and we went on our way.

We went to the McDonalds for dinner and chatted lightly about school. The ride home was quiet except for the radio playing 80's rock ballads. A song caught my attention. It didn't apply especially right now but it made me think of Jacob's beaming smile.

_When I see you smile  
I can face the world, oh oh,  
you know I can do anything  
When I see you smile  
I see a ray of light, oh oh,  
I see it shining right through the rain  
When I see you smile  
Oh yeah, baby when I see you smile at me_

When I got home Charlie was in the living room watching a game. He looked in my direction and asked if I had a good time. I nodded. I let him know I already ate when he told me he ordered a pizza. I went upstairs with my bags and got ready for bed.

* * *

_**Well there's the eight chapter of Solen. I hope you enjoyed it. I would like to apologize for the wait. Life just has a way of getting in the way. I have a lot of weight on my shoulders at the moment with everything I've got going on. There's not much I can do about it.**_

_**The next chapter will be JxB's first date. It's exciting. It will be a double chapter (with both Jacob and Bella's POVs).**_

_**I will say I don't know when I'll have that chapter up. **__**This semester in school is coming to an end in about a month so I have a lot of studying to do. We'll see what happens.**_

_**Lastly, New Moon will be out in less than a week here and I'm extremely eager for that day to come already!  
**_


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